Yorkshire end winless run

Andrew Gale's emphatic 83 at the top of the innings gave Yorkshire much-needed impetus as they ended their 10-game winless run

Yorkshire ended a run of 10 consecutive matches without a win in all competitions by beating Durham by 13 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method in the NatWest Pro40 Division One encounter at Scarborough.

Replying to Yorkshire’s 199 for seven in what began as a 38-overs-a-side match, rain left Durham chasing a revised target of 202 in 37 overs and a weather interruption at 118 for four in 22.3 overs meant they needed to reach 168 for victory in a further 7.3 overs.

But with Rana Naved-ul-Hasan snatching three wickets and skipper Anthony McGrath holding two great catches, Durham dipped to 154 all out with two balls remaining.

Before the final downpour, Durham were given a rousing start by Phil Mustard and Ian Blackwell who racked up 85 in 10 overs before Blackwell gave a return catch to David Wainwright for 37 from 22 balls with six fours.

Mustard, who had taken three fours off Tim Bresnan’s first over, followed by a couple of consecutive sixes at Rana’s expense.

Batting first on winning the toss, Yorkshire were given a cracking start by their left-handed opening pair of Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Gale who put on 81 together in 17 overs with some fine attacking strokeplay.

There was an early six for Rudolph when he whipped Neil Killeen over midwicket but it was Gale who thrashed most of the runs, driving Mitch Claydon into the crowd before blasting Liam Plunkett with a series of pulls which brought him 27 of the 28 runs which the paceman conceded in three overs. Three fours came off Plunkett’s first over and Gale following up with two further fours and a six.

Gale’s half-century arrived off 59 balls and it was Ben Harmison who deservedly split the pair when Rudolph, on 30, drove him gently to Gareth Breese at midwicket.

Not for the first time this season, Yorkshire stumbled after calling all the early shots and skipper, Anthony McGrath, was caught behind by Mustard to bring Harmison a second wicket.

Gale became becalmed as Breese sent back Adam Lyth and Jonathan Bairstow and the opener was standing on 67 when a heavy shower held up play for a while with Yorkshire on 124 for four in the 29th over.

Breese soon dismissed Bresnan on the resumption but Durham were then rocked by a violent assault from Rana which brought him 42 runs off only 15 balls with five sixes and two fours.

He began his spree against Blackwell by smacking a full toss over midwicket for six and then straight driving the spinner clean out of the ground.

He slammed Breese for another midwicket six and drove consecutive deliveries from Killeen high over the rope before a skimming cover drive was beautifully caught on the cover boundary by Breese running to his left.

Gale resumed his own assault with a six off Killeen but after making 83 from 108 deliveries with five fours and three sixes he was run out by Breese’s direct hit on the stumps while attempting a quick single.